Gentle.
I think as humans, we tend to let our emotions get the best of us. Whether that be jealousy, pity, sadness, or anger, it can lead us to undesirable consequences. As a human I think it’s natural to have negative feelings towards others at some point in time. If you hangout with someone long enough, even if you love them, your emotions can get the better of you. Often for me at least, this leads to lasting memories of the negative emotions I had, often outweighing the positive ones.
The only person I have ever met that I genuinely have only had positive memories with is Todd Evans. I’ve never met someone as compassionate, loving, and as selfless as Todd. He, in all instances, was there for anyone that came into his life, whether you were a stranger at a restaurant or a close friend, he treated you with the utmost respect. He was the first to call to wish a happy birthday. He was the first to ask about how your family was doing, and what everyone was up to. He was, in many ways, a great man, partner, father, and role model.
When Todd came into my aunt’s life, I got to witness an absolutely beautiful relationship. They were Yin and Yang, my aunt the energetic, ambitious, and outgoing one, and Todd the gentle, grounded, and caring one. They were a beacon for others to lean on when they needed, often acting as parental like figures for those that were going through their own bucket of problems. The selfless nature of these two individuals was admirable, and many felt their presence when they were at their lowest.
In my humble opinion there are a few “purposes” to life; those being: love, experiences, and connections. I believe if enlightenment does exist, Todd reached it. He lived a completely fulfilling life through his loving, gentle nature, his endless pursuit of experience, and his array of people he built into his community.
The most impressive attribute I got to see directly was the way he loved my cousins. He treated them as his own kin, often acting as more of an older brother than my aunt’s partner. My cousins had an amazing relationship with him and it was beautiful. He stepped in when my Aunt needed him to, and he took the role to the absolute maximum.
Thank you for being a role model, thank you for being there for me and my family, and thank you for leaving each of us with a bit of you. Thank you for everything Todd, you will be deeply missed..
Sending you lots of love,
Kai.
Weekly Poem:
As the wind blows
The sun sets
The birds stop chirping
Day turns to dusk, dusk turns to night
We may think the light dwindles
But instead it inhabits another form
